Bulls vs. Raptors Prediction & Odds
The tenth-seeded Chicago Bulls head to Toronto to face the 9th-seeded Raptors on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN in the first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Can the Bulls cover the 5.5-point spread as road underdogs?
The Chicago Bulls are 40-42 on the season. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Bulls are 40-39-3 ATS on the year.
The Toronto Raptors are 41-41 on the season. They’re 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Raptors are 41-39-2 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
565 Chicago Bulls (+5.5) at 566 Toronto Raptors (-5.5); O/U 213.5
7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Bulls vs. Raptors Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 57% of public bettors are currently backing the Bulls +5.5 in this contest. Note that these numbers are subject to change, so be sure to check the link to receive the most up-to-date public betting data.
Chicago Bulls DFS Spin
Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is one of the more underrated players in the league. The USC alum is averaging 17.6 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the floor this season. Vucevic averaged 18.7 points per game on 58.6% shooting in three games against Toronto this season and he should see a plethora of scoring opportunities against a smaller Raptors club on Wednesday.
Chicago backup point guard Coby White could have some value in DFS this week. In 5 games this month, White is averaging 13.8 points, 4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while sinking 53.7% of his shots from the field. White’s minutes will be key for the Bulls and he may have some offensive opportunities in Chicago’s first play-in game of 2023.
Toronto Raptors DFS Spin
Raptors shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. has been one of the team’s best shooters this season. Trent is pouring in 17.4 points and 2.5 made three-pointers per game while shooting an above-average 36.9% from beyond the arc this season. Trent’s shooting could provide him with some DFS value against the Bulls on Wednesday.
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl could be a nice cost-effective frontcourt option in DFS on Wednesday. Poeltl has excelled since arriving in Toronto at the trade deadline. He’s stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.2% from the field in 26 games for the Raptors this season.
Bulls vs. Raptors NBA Betting Trends
Chicago is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an outright win of more than 10 points.
Chicago is 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.
Toronto is 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win.
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Wednesday games.
Bulls vs. Raptors NBA Prediction
The Bulls have been very good against the number when facing the Raptors the past few years. To wit, Chicago is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against Toronto. The Bulls are also 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games against the Raptors in Toronto. This season the Bulls are 15-12-1 ATS as a road underdog, and they have the third-best plus-minus in the league when they are getting points on the road. There are rumblings that Toronto head coach Nick Nurse might be on his way out of town, and I could see things going sideways for the Raptors if the Bulls jump on them early. In any event, I think these teams are fairly even, which is why I’ll take Chicago and the points on the road.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: CHICAGO BULLS +5.5